WestREAPs Whakamana

What is it?

Partnership Funding provides significant financial support for five years, for any purpose that meets the recipient’s vision. It’s offered to three to five previous grant recipients per year who have similar goals and a willingness to work together. The Todd Foundation also provides support for professional development, site visits, research and evaluation.

Why are we doing this?

United States research (from Grantmakers for Effective Organisations and others) indicates three key ways in which funders can be more effective:

• Provide more untagged funding
• Allocate more multi-year grants
• Build better relationships with the organisations we fund and a better understanding of the communities we serve.

Partnership Funding specifically addresses the first two recommendations, and we hope that its longer-term and collegial nature will help to address the third.

2009 focus: intergenerational learning

We offered Partnership Funding to four organisations in 2009, all of which combine early childhood learning with adult literacy, parenting and other skills. In keeping with the funding’s trust-based nature, all four organisations had received Todd Foundation funding previously, and were committed to working together on a shared vision of ‘families love to learn’. The recipients were:

• City of Manukau Education Trust (South Auckland)
• Far North Parent Mentoring (Northland)
• Tairawhiti REAP (Rural Education Activities Programme) (East Coast)
• WestREAP (West Coast).

“This funding is a dream come true,” says WestREAP’s Manager, Corrina Gestro-Best. “Covering five years, it gives us certainty to implement our long-term strategy, to respond and adapt this strategy to families’ needs, to provide permanent employment to the best possible people, and to undertake longitudinal studies.”

WestREAP’s ‘Whakamana te Whānau’ initiative is an example of the intergenerational learning this funding will support. Trained tutors help to establish a learning culture in the home by encouraging parents to read with their kids, and provide support for adult literacy and training in computer skills. “This sustainable, long-term commitment from the Todd Foundation means we can make a sustainable, long-term commitment to our community,” says Corrina.